Nut-lock



A. C.. VAUGHAN.

' Patent ed Oct. 16, 1888.

Unire STATES AARON C. VAUGHAN, OF SHANES CROSSING, OHIO. p

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,284, dated October16, 1888.

Application filed February 3, 189.51.. Serial No. 262.9113. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, AARON C. VAUGi-IAN, of Shanes Crossing, in thecounty of Mercer and State of Ohio, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in NutLocks, of which the following is a specification.

y invention is in the nature of an improved nut-lock for securelylocking a nut upon a bolt to prevent accidental loosening,and which maybe also used in some applications in the place of a nut.

It consists in the peculiar construct-ion of a nut possessing thefollowing characteristics: First, the nutis made concave-convex and thinenough to have some spring when under the tension of a powerful wrench;secondly, it has a perfectly round hole in the center, which is threadedwith a regular standard screw`thread, and, thirdly, the nut has acircular segmental hole cut entirely through its body and opening intothe bolt-hole. These several features have heretofore been separatelyemployed, and in some instances two of them have been com bined; but myinvention consists in a nut which comprises all three of these features,between which there is a coactive relation, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed.

Figure l is a face View of the lock-nut; and Fig. 2 is a sectional viewof the same on the line x 00 of Fig. 1, showing it applied to the usualbolt and nut.

In the drawings, Arepresents the loclrnut, B the usual nut, and O thebolt. The locknut A is made of a plate of steel about onequarter of aninch in thickness. At the four corners a 1. a a the nut is flat; but aninner zone or belt, b, of the nut around the bolt-hole is stamped upinto a concavo-convex form, as shown in Fig. 2. The bolt-hole is aperfect circle, and it is threaded with a regular standard threadcorresponding to the bolt, so that it turns on the same freely withoutbinding. Through this concavoconvex zone, and extending entirely throughthe body of the nut, is cut a circular segmental hole, c, which opens'into or communicates with the bolt-hole.

In making the lock-nut the plate is stamped into concave-convex form,and the bolt-hole and segmental hole c are cut by a descending die inone operation, and the bolt-hole is then threaded in the regular way inanother operatione ln applying the lock-nut A it is simply turned uponthe threaded end of the bolt, and is freely run up by the fingers untilits corners a come in contact with the usual nut, the screw-threadedhole being of standard size and permitting this to be done. A strongwrench is then applied to the lock-nut A, and it is strained against theunderneath bearingface until the threads of the lock-nut draw down theconcave-convex zone b to a dat or 'nearly 'flat surface, as shown by thedotted lines in Fig. 2. As this zoneb is iattened, the innercircumference of the bolt-hole is contracted, as shown by the dottedlines in Fig. l, the opening c, extending through the zone b, givingsufficient clearance for this contraction to take place, and at the sametime permitting a torsional spring Paction on the lines d d. As the nutis tightened by the final turn or two of the wrench, it will be seenthat the four points a bear forcibly and with great frictional contactagainst the nut below, and as the buckle or convexity is taken out ofthe zone b the bolt-hole contracts and the threads ofthe latter tightlypinch the bolt, making an eXceedinglyirm and positive lock thateffectually resists all loosening strains or vibrations.

The advantages of this lock-nut are as follows:

First. It is cheaply made, requiring only the two Operations innut-making of punching and threading, and that, too, with a regularstandard thread, the only change being in the form of the dies.

Second. It is quickly and freely turned on the free end of t-he bolt. Asit is common to allow the threaded end of a bolt to project an inch orso beyond its nut, (to prevent stripping,) this involves a great savingof time and labor over that form of lock-nuts which bind all along thebolt while being turned on, and which not only require much time andlabor to adjust, but also mutilate the thread.

Third. Vhile thc locking is effected only by the last turn or two of thenut, its binding effect is, by reason of its compound nature, of themost effectual kind and resists all loosening strains except those of apowerful wrench.

This lock-nut is made of steel, and the concavo-convex zone Z)constitutes a powerful spring, which allows the nut to resume its shapewhen removed from the bolt In some applications of my invention the 2.Thelock-nnt herein described, consisting lock-nut A may be used as a nutWithout any of an elastic metal plate having Hat bearings nut B. ThusWhenever there is a solid metal a at its corners and a concavo-convexcentral bearing beneath and a light construction is to portion, Z2,having acircular bolt-hole through 5 be'desired, said lock-nut may beused alone. it with a regular screw-thread, and having an 2o Having thusdescribed my invention,WhatI opening.7 c, extending entirely through theclaim as new isbody of the plateand communicating with the 1. Thelock-nut herein described, consisting bolt-ho1e, substantially as andfor the purpose of a coneavo-convex plate having a circular described.

1o bolt hole provided with a regular screwthread, and an opening at oneside of the bolt-V AARON C. VAUGHAN. hole extending entirely through thebody of the plate'and communicating with the bolt- Witneeses: Y

hole, substantially as and for the purpose de D. RUSSELL NUTTALL,

15 scribed. J. PENRosE COLLINS.

